It is well known to use wood or lumber separator, commonly referred to as “lath”, “sticker” “crosser”, to separate pieces of lumber in a bundle or stack and allow air to flow between layers of lumber and moisture to escape from the wood.
Side-by-side laths or separators typically extend transversely to the length of the pieces of lumbers in the stack. An individual stack is often built up to a height of about 5 feet with the pieces of lumber laid in a spaced and parallel relationship in courses, course upon course, with separators laid between at least some of the courses across the pieces of lumber. The laths often extend beyond one peripheral side of the bundle, thereby interfering with the subsequent wrapping or bagging of the bundle.